Workers protest at proposed PSA car plant near Chennai

Hindustan Motors, which was functioning in early 2000s, had provided jobs to 175 people in the neighbouring villages.CHENNAI: Around 300 CPI members, including party state secretary R Mutharasan, were arrested on Friday for staging a protest at Adigathur near Tiruvallur. The protesters were demanding that French car maker PSA Group -- which is going to set up a car manufacturing unit in a plant previously owned by Hindustan Motors -- provide jobs to the kin of 22 people who had given their lands, years ago, to set up the factory.

Tahsildar Vijayakumari, deputy superintendent of police Gangadharan and other officials tried to pacify the protesters. As the protesters refused to disperse, police arrested them and detained them in a marriage hall at Kadambathur.

Due to the protest, traffic was disrupted on the Tiruvallur - Sriperumbudur road for about two hours.

Police said Hindustan Motors, which was functioning in early 2000s, had provided jobs to 175 people in the neighbouring villages. The company was shut down in 2005. In February last year, the PSA Group decided to take over the existing plant and decided to relieve all the local workers.

They agreed to strike a deal under a voluntary retirement scheme and give a one-time settlement. However, sources said the CPI workers demanded that the company provide jobs to the family members of 22 people, who had given their lands to Hindustan Motors to set up the plant.

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